Bobby, the Painter and Joe, the Electrician

Bobby, the Painter

Bobby

When I first met Bobby, I had no idea that engaging with him would be like opening Pandora’s Box of conversation—once it started, there was no turning back. Seasoned staff members took great delight in watching this unsuspecting newbie get caught in Bobby’s charming cul-de-sac of chatter. He was a master of the conversational trap, innocent and inquisitive, tying you up with questions about personal dilemmas or weaving endless stories that magically disappeared into thin air, leaving you wondering how you got there.

I often caught sight of his willowy 90-pound frame, topped with a shock of white hair, pushing his cart around campus in the far distance. By the time I met him, he’d been on the job for 30 years, and his love of talking was no secret. A Vietnam veteran, Bobby proudly shared that his unit had christened him “Walkie Talkie.”

One of Bobby's favorite stories was when he and Denzel Washington became best friends. Denzel was on campus shooting a movie, and Bobby happened to be painting the office next to his holding area. According to Bobby, one day Denzel casually said hi, and from that moment on, they hit it off like a house on fire. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

“Walkie Talkie”

Bobby in his Paint Shop.

One infamous incident had become the stuff of legend. Bobby was tasked with painting the sidewalk of the 64th Street drive that led to our offices. He meticulously painted a bright yellow 3-inch strip along the curb and had just finished the area outside our office when a woman from the New York Philharmonic came along and slipped. Unfortunately, she didn’t just slip—she rolled, over and over, along the curb, effectively painting herself bright yellow from head to toe.

Bobby was horrified. In a desperate attempt to fix the situation, he doused her with mineral spirits, hoping to improve her comic appearance. The poor woman stumbled off looking like a police cordon and reeking of kerosene.

Bobby adored his job and showed it through his work. He dedicated most of his working life to painting, leaving his mark—quite literally—on Lincoln Center.

Joe “Sparky”

Joe, Lead Electrician

Joe, the lead electrician at Lincoln Center, managed a team of four, who were tasked with maintaining the entire 16-acre campus. Their toughest job was replacing the in-ground fixtures around Josie Robertson Plaza that had succumbed to weather and rust. This grueling task meant long days on their knees, prying stubborn fixtures from cold concrete in the dead of winter.

Joe had a habit of repeating my name during our conversations. He’d start with a cheerful, “Rahdge, how’s it going, Rahdge? Rahdge, about these LED bulbs for the fountain, Rahdge.” His enthusiasm became a running joke between us. But beneath the banter, Joe’s commitment to his work was unwavering. As the lead electrician, Joe was a great problem solver who took pride in making sure everything was done right, with a sense of accomplishment, whether it was a quick fix or a major installation.

Junior, Josh, and Brian completed the motley Electrical crew who found it hilarious when I asked them to clean up after themselves. I guess my English accent was to blame. I simply said:

“Gents, let’s clean up after ourselves, yes? We’re at Lincoln Center where we do it properly. Okay? Properly. Yes?” They nodded sheepishly.

After that, whenever they saw me, they’d shout across the plaza:

“Rahhdge! Yes, we’re doing it properly!” followed by schoolboy giggles.

Those moments of laughter and camaraderie were as important as the work itself.